Leadership & Character | New York City, NY

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in New York City on May 9, 2018 to discuss Leadership & Character.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

• During our conversation, we learned much about instances that made an impression on us as we shared and reflected on examples of character in action. From helping someone in need, witnessing acts of kindness, seeing one’s true nature after being fired and many things in between, our group experienced a number of varying instances that showed how character can be portrayed.  
• We bonded over these key character traits – compassion, common decency and providing support when in need. And with our group, we are hopeful and optimistic that many of these traits have been taught and imparted on the current generation of Wake Forest students. Furthermore, our conversation delved in to the Greek system on campus and its relevance in our academic community, but for the purpose of our discussion, whether values and character are being taught through these experiences.
• With that said, one of the recurring themes from our dinner  was the question, “Can character be taught?” Some believe that a person’s character and understanding of integrity are set at an early age and can’t be altered later in life. People can be taught to act better if it’s in their interest but their true character is fixed. Others, like ourselves, are hopeful and believe that character can be changed and people can be taught not to act better but to be better. We learned that character is indeed ever evolving and truly built over time. We all have a certain amount of character and it was noted that it may fluctuate at times but what we do each day brings value to our lives and to others, even if it isn’t immediately realized.